Diamonds and Pearls

Atlas made these tiny cakes for a refined, Coco Chanel-themed affair, and they're surprisingly simple: you trim the crust off store-bought pound cake; use petit four (or cookie) cutters to turn the cake into little diamonds, ovals and squares; drizzle a confectioners' sugar glaze on top; and finish with pearlized sprinkles.

Prepare a baking sheet with parchment and set a wire rack over it. Set aside.

Make the glaze: pass the confectioners' sugar through a sieve into a medium bowl. Add 4 tablespoons of water and stir until the icing is smooth and coats the back of a spoon. If the icing seems too thin, gradually pass a bit more of the sugar through a sieve into it and stir until smooth. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it is too thin, gradually add more confectioners' sugar. If it is too thick, add water by the drop. Set aside.

Using a serrated knife, trim the crust from the pound cakes on all sides. Slice the pound cakes into 1-inch-thick slices, using an exaggerated sawing motion to get a smooth cut. Cut out 1- by 1-inch shapes as desired and transfer to the rack.

Using a teaspoon, drizzle the glaze over each petit four, then patch the exposed parts on the sides with more. Using an off-set tweezer, place a single pearlized sprinkle in the center of each petit four. Let set in a cool, dry place for at least 1 hour. Arrange on a platter in a single layer and set on the table. The petits fours will keep, stored in an airtight container, up to 2 days.